The National tribune., 1887-12-29
AT GUNToWN.
What the coIored Troops Did There.


Every white man that took commission with
colored troops lost caste among his comrades in
the army, as we'll as among his friends at home.
This, coupled with the fact that every officer
who took commission therein, took chances of
fighting where no quarter was given, proves
one of two things: that these men were either
were reckless adventures, or that they were
moved by a higher and grander patriotism than
most of their comrades of the army or their
friends at home.
From my acquaintance with officers of the
colOred troops, | am satisfied that the highest
and purest patriotism governed most of them.
But it is a fact that this cloud of poorly con-
cealed contempt has followed these men ever
since. While they and their men did splendid
fighting, there are but few lines of history that
tell of their deeds. The Nation seems to be
ashamed that they gave the slave chance to
strike blow for himself.
The design Of this article is to place on record
some of the facts connected with the history of
one colored regiment, to wit, the LIST Ala
C. T., afterward known as the 55th U. s.
c. Inf.
This regiment was organized at Corinth,
Miss, in the Spring of 1863. ]. NJ. Alexander,
ence, was made its Colonel; J. NJ. Arvin, of
Iowa, Lieutenant Colonel, and E. II. Low, of the
9th ILL.,, Major. The line staff and Orderly
Sergeants were selected from the different
regiments then encamped around Corinth. =
Here LET me say that, taken as whole no
regiment in the army could boast of more in
telligent, brave, or more devoted set of officers
than belonged to the line of the 18th U. S. G..
T. To them in a great measure belong the
credit of Transforming what Col. Thomson call
ed q mob of ignorant cotton-field negroes
into one of the best drilled and disciplined reg
iments I ever had the honor to associate with.
From its organization in the Spring of 1863 up
to June, 1864, the time was put in in drill
ing and wedding out some unworthy officers,
Col. Alexander among the rest Previous to
this, one officer, Lieut.. Hoskins, had been driv-
en- from the regiment without good cause, by
the caprice and oppression of Col. Alexander.
June 1864, found us in splendid trim, and it
then found the expedition under Gen. 5. D..
Sturgis starting from Memphis on the disas-
trous GuntoWn trip. The forces under Gen.
Sturgis's command consisted Of two brigades of
cavalry under the gallant Gen. GTierson,
two white brigades of infantry, and one brigade
of c0lored troops under the command of Col.
Mcmillan. As the result of that disastrous
day is already known, will not repeat it here,
but will confine myself to what l know of the
operations of the colored troops, which consist
ed of the seth and 55th u. S. c. T. and one
light battery; all under the command Of Col.
Boughton, of the 59th.
On the morning of June 10 was, with the
n.
consisting of about 100 wagons.
The regiment strung out the whole length
of the train, about eight men to the wagon.
We marched in this manner until about 10 a.
m, when firing was heard at the front, becom-
ing louder and more continuous as we came
nearer to it.
know nothing Of the fighting or manage
ment of the two leading brigades, nor of the
cavalry, except by the result. know Gen
g
on the double-quicl for five miles, and then
going into battle without rest. This, no doubt
was true, so far as the leading brigades were
concerned, for we passed hundreds if not thou
sands of men lying by the side of the road over.
come with heat-some even dying from over
exertion; but il was not t<ne as far as the 55tE
was concerned.
This regiment went into the fight with every
man in his place in the ranks ready for the
fight. While it is true that the General com
handing an army is and ought to be, respon
sible for the general management Of battle, il
it not quite true that eyery ofiicer-from divis
| ion, brigade and regiment, even down to the
company commanders-to a certain extent
should have part of that responsibility?
In the case at issue white troops were rushed +
/ the front in such a manner as to leave one-hal
Of their men by the wayside wholly unable to g
| forward or even TO retreat and the coloreC
troops, acting under precisely the same orders
got into the fight with every man in his place
/ When the officer commanding the 55th go
| the order to leave the wagon train and hurry
to the front, as stated before, the regiment wa
| strung out for some miles guarding that i'm
mensc train. Instead of giving the command
" Forward! Double-quick; march !" and start
ing of in gallop, he halted his leading com
| pany and waited until the regiment closed uT
and then placing himself in front-his me
taking that long, swinging pace that men ca
stand for hours-we got there in plenty of tim
to get all the fighting We wanted.
Suppose Col. Mcmillan, when he got tn
order TO hurry to the front, had acted with pru
dence; closed up that splendid division of trie
veteran soldiers-tried at DonelsOn, Shiloh an
many other battlefelds-how different woul
have been the story Of Guntown. That tn
might have been done is abundantly proved b
the single fact that the colored troops did do j
acting under precisely the same orders thu
Col Mcmillan received.
take the position that Col. Mcmillan woul
have been justified in ignoring an order so T,
pugnaut TO common sense, as 10 double-quick
column of men under the burning sun of tn;
June day more than five miles take til
ground that, under the circumstances, il WI
his duty to disobey such an order go farth
still; If Gen. Sturgis is guilty of one-half
what he isaccused of, Gen. Grierson should ha'
! put him in arrest and assumed command
next in rank.
. But there are some things that know &c
Sturgis is not guilty of; one is Of rushing Il
wagons to the front and in the way Of Il
? troops; for be it remembered, was in commar
of the train guard, and l aver that when &
: the order to hurry 10 the front, / distinctly 0
: dered the Chief Wagonmaster TO park his ira
: where had left him, and TO remain there u
til ordered TO move; and ! was never mo
: surprised in my life when / found the ira
within less than half mile Of the line of bs
|, tie. ] think now, and have thought for maj
, years that l ought TO have left guard to e
force that order. If / had done so somebo,
would have got hurt or they would have stay
!. there, for negro troops obeyed orders. Al
b now want 10 correct several statements til
i have been made in your columns in referen
TO the last troops TO leave the battlefield of Gu
town. l now most empbatically say that all t
s white troops were in full retreat at the tin
: while the colored troops were yet in line
battle, and that the colored troops remain
= there for nearly an hour after all the viii
= troops were gone, and only retreated when t
! rebels were in front and on both TANKS; an(
: want 20 say further that no better fighting v
ever done than they did that day Eve
= movement that was made was with the sal
- precision as if on dress parade, and every co
: mand executed as coolly IS at ordinary qua
4 mountings.
They lost as many men, according to I
number engaged, as any other brigade on II
field; they were the only troops that kept th
organization and arms intact, and carried tn
arms back TO Memphis
Whv fhaca claims chouTS ha Do 7 oa,,sS f,